Poland.pl -- One Polish soldier has been killed and four others wounded in when a military vehicle hit a improvised explosive device (IED). The incident took place in the northern part of ad Diwaniya, near to the Polish Echo base.

The victim was 25-year-old Private Tomasz Jura. Spokesman of Poland's Defence Ministry Jaros_aw Rybak said that Private Jura was a volunteer, a machine-gun operator. He has been serving in the army for 3 years.

"The mission [in Iraq] has became more dangerous for the Polish contingent. The patrol was attacked by means of a booby trap. The wounded were transported to the Polish base hospital but their livers are not endangered" Gen. Koziej informed.

"The IED can be detonated from a long distance, so the terrorists could choose the moment for the explosion" the spokesman of Ministry explained.

According to Poland's Defence Ministry, the attack took place in the north-eastern part of the city of ad Diwaniya, a few kilometres from the Echo base at around 10.40 p.m. local time. Soldiers were patrolling the region within the framework of the next stage of the military operation "Black Eagle".

Since September 3, 2003, when the multinational division under Poland's command took over the central-southern stabilisation zone in Iraq, 25 Polish soldiers have lost their lives.